IIE has joined AmazonSmile, a simple and automatic way for you to support IIE every time you shop at no additional cost to you. By taking the simple steps below, you can help raise contributions to IIE by doing the things you are already doing.

 

When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you will find the same prices, selection, and shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of each purchase price to IIE. 

1. Go to smile.amazon.com.
2. Sign in to your Amazon account or create a new account.
3. Select Institute of International Education as the organization of your choice.
4. Start shopping!

To learn more about ways to support IIE, please visit the new giving section on the IIE site.

Spending time in a foreign country can’t help but open your eyes to the wider world. But how can students make the most of their experiences abroad? Daniel Obst, Deputy Vice President of International Partnerships at IIE, shares 10 tips from A Student Guide to Study Abroad for truly immersing yourself in the culture during study abroad.

An article for the Wall Street Journal explains the recent expansion of foreign MBA programs in Africa. According to the article, "financial pressures and fierce competition in more established markets" as well as "multinational firms' demand for well-trained managers" is fueling much of the interest in creating new Africa programs. 

The Government of Gujarat, India and IIE San Francisco invite you to participate in a Roundtable on Strengthening Educational Ties between India - U.S. The delegation is comprised of senior leaders from across the Gujarat community and will focus on fostering collaboration between India and the United States. The roundtable will include remarks from representatives from the government of Gujarat and from various educational institutions including Gujarat University, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University and the Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar. The leaders are also extending invitations to the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Summit, scheduled in January 2015. Learn more about the Summit.

For questions about the event, please reach out to Ophelie Horsley at opotellehorsley@iie.org or 415-362-6520, ext. 200.

The Forum’s 11th Annual Conference, It Takes a Campus and More: The Faces of Education Abroad, will examine the many faces of education abroad, their diverse perspectives, and how we can all work together to improve the student experience. The value of education abroad for students is undisputed among education abroad professionals. However, it takes more than the dedication of the education abroad field to develop and administer successful programs, and to serve students effectively: it takes a campus, and more.

The Forum Conference addresses these and other issues by examining the many faces of education abroad, their diverse perspectives, and how we can all work together to improve the student experience. Proposals from faculty and those who might consider themselves ‘outside the field’ are strongly encouraged. Preference will be given to proposals showcasing diverse voices and perspectives crossing multiple institutions, organizations, and programs.

The Institute of International Education is pleased to announce the opening of the 2015-2016 Whitaker International Program, which provides funding for biomedical engineers/bioengineers to conduct a field-relevant activity abroad. 

Whitaker International Program grants are awarded based on an activity/project proposal that is relevant to biomedical engineering. We hope to offer at least 50 Fellow and Scholar grants annually; only the highest-quality applicants are awarded. In the last competition cycle, more than 60 grants were awarded (including Fellows/Scholars and Summer awards), and we encourage all students/junior faculty who are considering a period of study or research abroad to apply. The Whitaker Program was funded by The Whitaker Foundation (now closed), and is administered by the Institute of International Education.

The Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program has two categories:

• Fellows - Graduate-level applicants, from graduating seniors through current PhD students. Fellows receive a stipend for one year, and are eligible for tuition reimbursement.
• Scholars - Post-doctoral applicants who recently received their PhD. Scholar awards can be for as little as one academic semester or as long as two years of funding, depending on their needs. Second year funding is contingent upon demonstration of progress made during the first year.

Additional grant available:

• Summer Grants - For currently enrolled Master's or PhD students, or recent Master's recipients. Summer awards are for 8 weeks including a fixed fellowship award and a monthly stipend, along with additional benefits. Up to 20 awards will be available for summer 2015.

The Laura W. Bush Traveling Fellowship will help fund a proposal designed by the applicant to conduct brief work in a foreign country related to the mandate of UNESCO – using education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and/or communication and information to build strong ties among nations. The fellowship is intended for U.S. college/university students who express an interest in international collaboration but as of yet had not been afforded many opportunities to travel abroad.

The length of time for the travel is expected to be between 4 and 6 weeks and should include interaction with individuals from other nations. During his/her travel, the recipient should be willing to participate in public diplomacy events arranged with the pertinent U.S. State Department Consulate, Mission, and/or Embassy.

Following the travel, the recipient agrees to submit a report describing experiences and analyzing objectives achieved; share his/her experiences with others; and be available to make a presentation to the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.

• Must be a U.S. Citizen eligible for foreign travel
• Must be at least 18 years old and not older than 25 at the time of application
• Must be currently enrolled in an accredited U.S. college or university in the United States

IIE welcomes new member institutions to the IIENetwork, connecting over 7,000 individuals at more than 1,300 member institutions with a commitment to internationalization. For more information about IIE's membership program, please visit www.iie.org/IIENetwork.

All new IIE members will be added to the next edition of the IIENetwork Handbook for International Educators. This resource includes comprehensive listings and resources for networking and internationalizing your campus.

Bethune-Cookman University
Membership Contact: Cheryl Grimes-Long, Director of International Interdisciplinary Institute

California State University-Channel Islands
Membership Contact: Mayumi Kowta, Director of Int'l Programs

Concordia University, St. Paul
Membership Contact: Tom Allen, Director of International Student Services

Leeds College of Music, United Kingdom
Membership Contact: Veronique Fricke, Head of Business Development

Misericordia University
Membership Contact: Matguerite Roy, Advisor to the President on Study Abroad

Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Membership Contact: Heidi Moschietto, Executive Officer, International

The Morgan Library & Museum
Membership Contact: Dorian Lewis-Hood, Director of Human Resources

University of Michigan-Dearborn
Membership Contact: Suzette Crandell, Office of Int'l Affairs

University of South Australia
Membership Contact: Gabby Deer, Administration Officer, UniSA International

University of Tsukuba, Japan
Membership Contact: Benton Caroline Fern, Vice President

Weber State University
Membership Contact: Tiana Witkamp, Administrative Assistant

The outcomes from IIE’s Generation Study Abroad Think Tank, have been documented in the IIE green paper, "What Will it Take to Double Study Abroad?" This paper lays the foundation for an ongoing discussion around how to increase the number of students studying abroad in the short term and to shift the paradigm over the long term. We encourage you to share your insights and best practices with the community by commenting on the 11 Big Ideas outlined in the paper.

Rather than simply looking at the private sector for money, explore ways to involve a diverse group with the campaign. Look for ways to promote the private sector and involve it and its leadership as outspoken advocates for study abroad.

Project GO (Global Officer) gives student credit and allows for overseas semester or summer abroad language study for ROTC students. There are 25 higher education institutions that offer Project GO scholarships. Students receive credit from the higher education institution and, depending on the program, can receive anywhere from 6 to 12 language credit hours for their summer language study.

Project GO is an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office and administered by IIE. It provides fully funded scholarships to students commissioning through Air Force, Army and Navy ROTC to study critical languages domestically and abroad. Since 2007, Project GO has awarded scholarships to approximately 3,000 ROTC students from 185 different U.S. institutions to study the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek, and Wolof.

A fascinating article in Aljazeera America highlights the efforts by the University of South Carolina to help Iraq’s higher education and scientific research sectors during the crises that have besieged that country. IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) has had the privilege of being associated with Dr. Jenny Pournelle, who for more than a decade has been a tireless champion of Iraqi professors and students. Dr. Pournelle was an expert presenter at a 2011 IIE higher education revitalization conference held in Iraq. 

The University of South Carolina is an important partner in the IIE-SRF efforts to assist threatened Iraqi academics. Two Iraqi physician scientists—funded with stipends from the program—have been welcomed as visiting scholars by USC’s School of Medicine. To date, the IIE-SRF’s Iraq Project has supported nearly 300 of Iraq’s most senior and most threatened scholars.